'Minor issues' delay Israel pullout

The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon has said that "minor administrative issues" are delaying a pull-out of Israeli forces from the southeast Lebanon border village of Ghafar.

26 Oct 2006 19:30 GMT

Israel began its Lebanon military offensive in July

The village, divided between Lebanon and the Golan Heights which were annexed by Israel in 1981, is the last position occupiedby Israeli forces since their October 1 pullout during its recent offensive in the country.

A statement from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) said the deputy Unifil commander had met senior Lebanese andIsraeli officers to discuss the withdrawal.

"The situation around Ghajar was discussed with a view toensuring a speedy withdrawal of IDF [Israel Defence Forces] from thearea," Brigadier General Jai Prakash Nehra said.

"The meeting was productive and the main focus was to finalisearrangements for Ghajar after the IDF withdrawal."

It said that "minor administrative issues" regarding the town's residents were "still pending" but that Unifil hoped they could be resolved by next week.

Disputed region

One third of the village is in Lebanese territory and two-thirdsin the zone annexed by Israel.

Ghajar is dissected by the "BlueLine" designating the Lebanon-Israel border that was drawn by theUN in 2000.

It was occupied by the Israeli military during its34-day offensive in July and August against fighters from Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia militia, following the kidnap of two Israeli soldiers by its fighters.

The withdrawal of Israeli forces from Ghajar, and also from thedisputed Shebaa Farms where the Lebanese, Syrian and Israeli bordersmeet, is one of the demands of the government in Beirut.